Community events planned in wake of Coatesville scandal

More than a week after Coatesville Area School Board members voted 6-1 to accept the partings of former superintendent Richard Como and former athletic director Jim Donato, Coatesville pride is rising from the rubble of the district’s texting scandal in the form of planned rallies and gatherings.

The first of the events starts at noon today, with a march from Ash Park to the Benner Administration Building.

Coatesville resident Fonz Newsuan wanted this trek from the park to school district headquarters to represent a unified community with one goal in mind for the future of their school district.

“We as a community believe that (the school board) dropped the ball in regard to the situation. We believe they should have never given (Como and Donato) the opportunity to retire and resign. They taught our children about zero tolerance,” he said. “When it came to Mr. Como and Mr. Donato they were given a choice that our children don’t get.”

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Newsuan said the school board is not the only one who dropped the ball regarding the situation; the community’s involvement is just as crucial to how the school district is operated. He said it is the community members’ responsibility to continually inform themselves, ask questions, vote and know who they vote for during school board elections.

“We dropped the ball because we haven’t gone to the meetings and voted. Local representatives have more power over our lives than our president does,” he said. “I want to wake up my community because I am not letting them off the hook,” hoping the outcome of today’s rally will push the community to become more involved.

Marie Hess is anticipating the stands at Friday’s football games against Downingtown East will be packed with “Coatesville Pride” supporters, wearing school colors in support of the football team and program.

“(The community will) show the kids that they didn’t do anything wrong, and that the community supports them,” Hess said, adding that more than 200 people accepted a Facebook invitation to arrive at the football game wearing red and black.

Hess said there will be signs in support of the team, and wants to see “people patronize the concession stands,” support the cheerleaders as they sell pompoms and T-shirts to raise money for their program and other fundraising-type efforts to support the football program.

She said it’s important to show the team the community has their back. Surprising them with the game’s turnout is going to aid in increasing their morale.

“They can make just as much difference now as an adult can,” she said about the students in the district watching. She noted it’s crucial for them to learn what Coatesville pride means, and how they can make a difference in the community at any age.

The rallies don’t end at the football game against a Coatesville rival.

Judy Mentzer-Brown, a 1989 graduate of Coatesville Area Senior High School, said she and a few others decided to organize a trip to the state Department of Education office in Harrisburg.

She would like to see more than 20 people travel to Harrisburg in a rented bus. Those that want to attend are asked to contribute approximately $25. An anonymous donation of $250 was also given toward the trip, making it easier for some to attend without having to pay.

“Once we have the $425 we need, we are just going to tell people to come,” she said during a phone interview as she stood outside of the Benner Building on Lincoln Highway.

The trip to Harrisburg is planned for 8 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 7. The group will travel more than an hour to the state DOE headquarters for a peaceful protest and a plan to confront state representatives for assistance.

“I think we need to start at the state level before we go any further,” Mentzer-Brown said.

Brown said another march is planned for 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8, before the school board committees meeting, starting from Ash Park to the 9/10 Center on the high school campus.

“Even though this is a negative situation we are turning this into a positive and show that we are trying to come together,” she said.

The school board committees meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8, in the 9/10 Center auditorium on the high school campus.